Snow for Blue Mountains, as Sydney shivers through frigid gale-force winds
The brutal cold snap has continued into the weekend as parts of New South Wales are blanketed by snow while Sydney braces for continuing chilly blasts.
The heavy snowfall and ice buildup has caused widespread congestion on roads in country NSW, forcing the closure of stretches of highway.
The Great Western Highway between Yetholme and Marangaroo, west of Lithgow, has been closed, as well as local roads in Oberon and Jenolan.
The New England Highway between Armidale and Glen Innes has also been shut to traffic.
Tomorrow is expected to be the coldest morning for the Sydney region with just 1 degree predicted for Richmond.
Stunned residents of Blackheath, Leura, Mount Victoria, Katoomba and Yetholme have all received significant amounts of snow.
Strong winds have delievered snowfall as far west as Bathurst and Orange as the state continues to battle the deep freeze.
The chilly conditions are expected to continue with Katoomba expecting a maximum temperature of 7 degrees on Saturday and on Sunday a morning frost and a minimum of -2C.
The frosty temperatures were brought in by the most powerful cold front to move through NSW during the month of June for more than three years.
Social media has been sent into meltdown with users commenting on the recent weather event.
Ahh this weather in Sydney today reminds me of Chicago 2014. Not a cloud in the sky, super cold breeze. Beautiful day!
— // Mick // (@Te1lThatMick) June 25, 2016
The wind is sooo cold in Sydney today. It's like Southland here!
I'm freezing. If Wifey kissed me she'd get a brain freeze!— Daniel Duxfield (@Duxfield) June 25, 2016
The snowfall has been a welcome addition for ski field operators, setting up the rest of their season perfectly.
Temperatures in inner Sydney suburbs and the city’s west are not expected to reach below freezing across the weekend, however the city did experience its first cooler-than-average day for June on Friday.
Gale-force winds off the coast of Sydney are expected to last until Tuesday with the temperature not expected to exceed 16 degrees.
The Bureau of Meteorology also issued a severe wind warning late on Friday night for gale-force winds on the Coffs, Macquarie, Hunter, Illawarra, Batemans and Eden coasts on Saturday.
The first major cold snap of 2016 began late last week when an east coast low swept across parts of the nation.
The ‘deep freeze’ began in South Australia on Thursday before heading east to reach Victoria, Tasmania, the ACT, NSW and south east Queensland by Friday.
News break – June 25
